The W.L Brewer Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Orlando Region Ford Parts & Service Managers Club, which includes Ford Dealerships throughout Florida and parts of Georgia and Alabama, established the W. L. Brewer Scholarship Fund to aid Parts, Service and Body Shop employees of Ford and Lincoln Dealerships and their children. This program is our way of helping our fellow members and their children on the road to a successful future.
Pictured is the late Bill Brewer displaying the Fred Jones Award, which is presented by the Club to a member for outstanding contributions and dedication.
Bill's wealth of knowledge and his gentlemanly manner made him an inspiration to those of us lucky enough to have known him.
History
The following is excerpted from the cover story entitled "The Ace of Clubs" by Claudia Capos in the September 2000 issue of Dealer World Magazine.
"Nearly a decade ago, three members of the Orlando Region Ford Parts & Service Club took a gamble. The Club had recently produced and sold 100 sets of parts management training videos, but instead of keeping the $25,000 in proceeds for club use, Parts Managers Bill Brewer, Bob Sigmon and Richard Bennett set up an endowment fund. They hoped to help the sons and daughters of local parts, service, and body shop employees gain a college education.
The three managers decided to name the scholarship in honor of Brewer, three-time president of the Orlando Club and mastermind behind the videotape project.
And the trio's bet continues to pay off. In the past eight years the fund has grown tremendously, thanks to donations from other Florida Parts & Service Clubs, parts suppliers, and various vendors. Today the Brewer fund totals nearly $120,000 and working only off the interest, provides nearly $6,000 annually in scholarships."
Today
Today the fund has grown to over $350,000. In 2015 the Board voted to make the most significant change since its inception by awarding the interest from the endowment plus half of the net proceeds from the previous year’s meeting. This enables the Club to award up to $15,000 in scholarships this year!
Eligibility & AWARDS
Applicants must be sponsored by the Parts, Service or Body Shop Manager of a Ford or Lincoln Dealership that is reasonably active in the Parts and Service Club, with the Parts, Service or Body Shop Manager attending at least one in three meetings.
To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be:
1. An employee of the Parts, Service or Body Shop Department in a Ford or Lincoln Dealership within the Orlando Region who has completed at least two years of employment by the application deadline (April 15th) or:
2. A dependent child (up to the age of 26) of a Ford or Lincoln Dealership Parts, Service or Body Shop employee who has completed at least two years of employment by the application deadline (April 15th) and:
3. Either a current high school senior or a high school graduate who plans to enroll or is currently enrolled in a course of study at an accredited college, university or technical school.
Eligibility
Applicants must be sponsored by the Parts, Service or Body Shop Manager of a Ford or Lincoln Dealership that is reasonably active in the Parts and Service Club, with the Parts, Service or Body Shop Manager attending at least one in three meetings.
To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be:
1. An employee of the Parts, Service or Body Shop Department in a Ford or Lincoln Dealership within the Orlando Region who has completed at least two years of employment by the application deadline (April 15th) or:
2. A dependent child (up to the age of 26) of a Ford or Lincoln Dealership Parts, Service or Body Shop employee who has completed at least two years of employment by the application deadline (April 15th) and:
3. Either a current high school senior or a high school graduate who plans to enroll or is currently enrolled in a course of study at an accredited college, university or technical school.
Awards
Educational institutes and program accreditation are subject to verification and approval by the Scholarship Committee. Scholarships are awarded annually and typically range from $1,000 to $3,000. Applications are reviewed and graded by the Scholarship Committee to determine individual award amounts.
Applications are accepted between February 1st and April 15th. The completed application and required documentation, including high school or college transcript must be returned by mail postmarked no later than April 15th. All information submitted is confidential and reviewed only by the Committee.
Scholarships awarded will be paid directly to the School’s Student Financial Aid Office by August 15th. Checks are payable jointly to the student and the school and must be endorsed by both.
Obligations
Recipients have no obligation to the Orlando Region Parts & Service Managers Club. They are, however, required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average during their freshman year and 2.5 grade point average thereafter to be eligible for future awards.
Revisions
The Orlando Region Parts & Service Managers Club reserves the right to review the conditions and procedures of the program and to make changes at any time including termination. Scholarships already awarded will not be affected.
For additional information contact a member of the Scholarship Committee:
Jim Hancock, Scholarship Chairman
Lakeland Ford
1430 W. Memorial Blvd.
Lakeland, FL 33815
jhancock@lakelandautomall.com
863-583-9219
Barry Keene
Gary Yeomans Ford
1420 N. Tomoka Farms Road
Daytona Beach, FL 32124
bkeene@anewford.com
904-591-2603
Ray Grubbs
Gary Yeomans Ford
1420 N. Tomoka Farms Road
Daytona Beach, FL 32124
rgrubbs@garyyeomansford.com
800-231-6172